Goodyear's Inactivity
All of Charley’s surviving letters are
written while on garrison duty at Fort Scott, not while on the battle field. This meant that when these letters were
written, Charley was stuck doing tedious and repetitive drills and duties, and
saw almost no actual fighting. I think,
based on the content of the letters and his character, this inactivity
irritated and bored Charley.
In more than one letter, Charley complains about not doing much more than just general duties. In others, he tends to glorify the adrenalin rush of danger in the battlefield. These feelings, coupled with extremely strong beliefs that border on simplifying the war into black and white, would explain, in at least part, for why he enlisted to begin with and why he might have eventually pursued promotion into the United States Colored Infantry.
This also explains some of his remarks made against US Generals and even the president himself. The Army of the Potomac, especially, had a hard time ever doing anything in the War before Grant became the leader of the whole Union Army. Some of this inactivity had to deal with a combination of politics, people, and poor strategy. Caution, was too often the reason that the Union Army was unable to effectively land in Virginia. With a person like Charley, who appears to dislike inactivity, the inability for the Union Army to march quickly would explain many of his scathing remarks about certain important historical figures.
In more than one letter, Charley complains about not doing much more than just general duties. In others, he tends to glorify the adrenalin rush of danger in the battlefield. These feelings, coupled with extremely strong beliefs that border on simplifying the war into black and white, would explain, in at least part, for why he enlisted to begin with and why he might have eventually pursued promotion into the United States Colored Infantry.
This also explains some of his remarks made against US Generals and even the president himself. The Army of the Potomac, especially, had a hard time ever doing anything in the War before Grant became the leader of the whole Union Army. Some of this inactivity had to deal with a combination of politics, people, and poor strategy. Caution, was too often the reason that the Union Army was unable to effectively land in Virginia. With a person like Charley, who appears to dislike inactivity, the inability for the Union Army to march quickly would explain many of his scathing remarks about certain important historical figures.